Though Padrón's bread-and-butter line is quite affordable, and makes up the bulk of their sales, they do have more than a few higher-priced alternatives. In fact, starting with the 1964 Anniversary series, they were one of the first major manufacturers to start charging $10+ for their ‘special’ smokes. No one seemed to mind, certainly not us, since they did tend to justify their swanky price tags.

All of a sudden, we mind. Padrón’s new Damaso line is a mild, traditional Connecticut-shade wrapped cigar for those who like things refined and easygoing. The Toros we smoked for this review cost $15—in the same range as an Ashton Cabinet, more expensive than a Montecristo White, and about FIVE times the price of the Gurkha Park Avenue, which we actually prefer. Ugh.

The back story certainly got us interested. "This is a totally new blend, completely different than anything we have done before," Jorge Padrón told Cigar Aficionado. "It's Connecticut our way." Connecticut their way—interesting. Very interesting, in fact, since Padrón has never let us down. Ever. Plus, they never rush to market with anything to be trendy. If they were coming out with a Connecticut cigar, it must truly be something good.

And that’s exactly what this is: good. Well, very good technically according to our rating scale. Certainly a cigar this carefully crafted, from well-fermented tobaccos, can’t be anything less than very good. But in terms of aroma and flavor exclusively, it’s really just good. Buttery, toasty, woody and with a lemony twang that brings the flavor balance in line with a nice chardonnay wine. As appealing as that sounds, it’s a little underwhelming in practice, and especially when taking the price into consideration (which we try not to do).

This is not at all part of the new wave of amped up Connecticut cigars from the likes of Camacho, Drew Estates, etc. If you absolutely, positively must spend $15 or more on a mild, Connecticut shade wrapped cigar, then this is a good one. There are certainly others just as good, such as the aforementioned Ashton Cabinet, and also Davidoff. But geez, VegaFina is just as interesting and easygoing if lacking in finesse for one-third the price. And that damn Gurkha Park Avenue is too, and its oily wrapper is kinda sorta more appealing than the matte wrapper used here.

So if you must, then go ahead. No question, this is an elegant smoke that signals the resurgence of traditional-type cigars like Macanudo, Don Diego etc. that ruled the marketplace for the 1970s and 80s. Still, inborn Catholic guilt requires that we smoke a Gurkha instead and donate the $12 we saved to charity. Hey—how about Fuente’s Cigar Foundation?

THE VERDICT

One of the best cigars of the last few decades—says us—is back. It was discontinued, even after winning a spot on the coveted Cigar Aficionado Top 25 list, because apparently most consumers wouldn’t know a great blend if it pounded them in the palate with hints of salted caramel taffy hand pulled by literal angels from heaven who look like Brooklyn Decker and rescue pit bulls in their spare time and then train them to be certified therapy dogs who they then volunteer to take to nursing homes on weekends. But we digress. Ahem. Forgive us, but the richness and complexity of a cigar like the Coronado by La Flor Dominicana is rarely tempered with such subtlety. Certainly it was a somewhat unlikely cigar coming as it did from brand co-owner Litto Gomez, whose idea of subtlety lately has enough nicotine and sheer power to knock us into a stupor. Then again, lest we forget, La Flor started out with a series of traditional ‘mild’ cigars back in its early days. In any event, whatever its genesis, it’s back! Now, the original product may have suffered a bit with packaging that emphasized “Coronado” rather than La Flor. Frankly a lot of consumers who may have appreciated it could have passed it right by. That has now been rectified, as the cigar wears the more recognizable LFD band with a second Coronado band denoting its place in the lineup. If it sells more cigars, we’re all for it. However, the cigar doesn’t seem quite the same. The wrapper is a bit darker and oilier than before. Perhaps that’s due simply to fluctuations in terms of what is now available versus the original, or perhaps it’s a concession to the fact that LFD customers may be more attracted to darker wrappers, figuring them to offer more in terms of strength and flavor.

In any event, the cigar now has a more dominant leathery character. All the elements we used to love are still there however, including that caramel sweetness, a counterpoint of dry woodiness and a mouth-coating richness. Maybe some aging will temper the leather and bring the flavors back into the balance we became accustomed to. It’s also probably not fair to compare our well-aged older stock with current production that only arrived at our local B&M a few days ago. Either way, what was a great cigar then is still a heck of a cigar now. If you missed it the first go around, buy some soon. With its stout but not overpowering awesomeness, this is going to make one unbelievably good smoke just in time for cool, crisp fall nights around the fire pit with old friends as the precious evenings of outdoor smoking wane. Bittersweet and beautiful. Thanks La Flor, Litto and Inez.